AUSTIN HEALEY last night condemned Welsh plans to form four provincial teams for what he admits are selfish reasons - because he fears it could spark a Wales revival!

AUSTIN HEALEY last night condemned Welsh plans to form four provincial teams for what he admits are selfish reasons - because he fears it could spark a Wales revival!

In a typically frank interview, the man known as the `Leicester Lip' admitted that as an Englishman he didn't want to see Wales flourish.

Healey, never afraid to voice an opinion, also opened up on a range of other issues including:

* CLAIMING Wales' players were psyched out by England before being thrashed 50-10 at Twickenham last year

* ASKING whether this year's clash at the Millennium Stadium would take place on a rugby pitch or a beach

* PREDICTING a full-blown Celtic League would be boring

* INSISTING he had no regrets about his Graham Henry rant with the Lions

* SAYING he earned more attention for winning the Superstars TV show than for playing rugby.

Asked about the big debate dominating Welsh rugby at present, England ace Healey said: "Hope-fully the Welsh Rugby Union can sort out the structure, but if they lose teams like Neath, Llanelli and Cardiff, it is going to be a shame.

"However, as an Englishman, I don't really want Wales to progress.

"I don't think a home and away Celtic League would help them whatsoever. It would lead to monotony - I would hate to be a Scottish player going on a bus for nine hours to places like Neath.

"You need variety and intensity. I don't think you could compare a Celtic competition with the Super 12. The Super 12 has new players coming through every year - and I don't know if a Celtic League would have that many."

Healey dismissed claims by officials at Welsh clubs that England would come to the rescue with a British League.

"No," was his emphatic answer.

"The format we have got in England is pretty good. The Heineken Cup may expand a bit in future like soccer's Champions League, but that's about it.

"The Zurich Premiership is a great competition - we don't need anything else besides it and Europe."

Colourful character Healey, a refreshing voice for his honesty, then went on to address the forthcoming February 22 Six Nations clash at the Millennium Stadium - the ground where he won the Heineken Cup for Leicester with his try in the closing moments against Leicester.

"Has the pitch been redone yet? If it hasn't, it will be like playing on a beach," said Healey.

He admitted Wales would be more of a threat on their own patch than they were at Twickenham last year, but still believes England have a psychological hold over Colin Charvis and co.

The seeds of last year's 50-points Twickenham thrashing, Healey pointed out, had been sown 10 months earlier during the Lions' tour to Australia.

"Half the problem for Wales was a lot of the Welsh players had seen how dedicated the English players were during that tour," he cheekily claimed.

He went on, "Of course Wales are a threat at home," before going on to point out that England won by a re-cord margin of 44-15 on their last visit to the Welsh capital.

"That was one of our best performances in recent years.

"We played some great stuff and if we can show that sort of form again in a few weeks' time, it could be a good game to play in."

Healey, capped 50 times by England, said he plans to be on the pitch in Cardiff for the game, having just about overcome his achilles problem.

"If I'm not playing, I won't be coming," he said. "I watched Leicester's Powergen Cup victory over Harlequins last weekend, but that will be the last time I go to a game as a spectator.

"I end up getting more and more agitated and wanting to fight with myself.

"But I am hungry for action and plan to be there. The frustration of not playing at present is being overtaken by the prospect of coming back fully fit.

"That hunger is driving me on in the gym and in the swimming pool, where I am like Mark Spitz these days!"

HEALEY, of course, won't exactly be Mr Popular amongst the Welsh public, particularly not after his well-publicised outburst against Henry and the Lions management 18 months ago.

His verdict on that spat today? No regrets, he says.

"I don't think about it a lot. What I did at the time was be involved in a newspaper article.

"A lot of good, and a lot of bad, came off the back of it. But it really doesn't concern me," said Healey.

Instead, he is focusing upon the future and Leicester's bid to retain the Heineken Cup and win the Zurich Premiership.

The recognition Healey got for winning in Europe, or rather the lack of it, came as a bit of a shock.

"The truth is more people congratulated me for winning the charity edition of Superstars," said Healey. "Nobody mentioned winning the Heineken Cup - everyone seemed to pat me on the back for Superstars."